PALO ALTO, Calif. - No. 22 Cal State Fullerton got a tremendous effort from freshman Colton Eastman as the Titans edged Stanford, 4-3, Sunday afternoon at Sunken Diamond.
The Titans (1-2) victory snapped a 12-game losing streak at Sunken Diamond as Fullerton grabbed its first win in Stanford since 2002. The Cardinal (2-1) still have not lost a series at home to Fullerton since 1994.
Colton Eastman made his Titans debut a memorable one and nearly a historic one. Eastman flirted with a perfect game, setting down the first 16 batters he faced on the afternoon before Stanford finally put a hit on the board.
Eastman got the victory as he went five and 1/3 innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits. He struck out five batters and did not allow a walk.
Chad Hockin picked up his first career save in the ninth, striking out the side.
Offensively, Tristan Hildebrandt led an offense that got a hit from eight of the nine batters in the order. Hildebrandt went 2-for-4 on the day, the only player to record multiple hits for the Titans on Sunday while also making an outstanding defensive play to preserve the perfect game in the fifth. Jerrod Bravo, Coby Kauhaahaa, Chris Hudgins and Scott Hurst each tallied a hit and drove in a run for the Titans.
The Titans offense erupted in the second inning, plating three runs on five consecutive hits in the inning. Tanner Pinkston started the rally with a one-out single and then Hudgins smacked a double to the gap in right-center, allowing Pinkston to score and give the Titans their first lead of the weekend. Kauhaahaa then roped the first pitch he saw from Andrew Summerville to left field for his first career double and RBI, scoring Hudgins. Hurst followed with a single up the middle to score Kauhaahaa and put the Titans up 3-0.
The Titans added another run in the sixth, getting an RBI single from Bravo, his first hit and RBI of the season to drive in Cardenas, who singled to lead of the frame.
Summerville suffered the loss for Stanford as he gave up four runs on seven hits.
In the fifth, Eastman and outfielder Jonny Locher battled in an 11-pitch at-bat. After fouling off six pitches, Locher lined the ball up the middle for what looked to be the first Stanford hit of the game. But Hildebrandt leaped and in a full extension of his body made the spectacular catch to keep the perfect game intact.
In the sixth, Eastman retired Austin Barr on strikes for his 16th straight out of the game, but the Cardinal would mount a rally. Pinch hitter Beau Branton hit a nubber back up the middle, but Eastman slipped on the mound trying to field it. Kauhaahaa tried to make a barehanded play but missed the ball and Branton was aboard with the first hit and base runner of the day for Stanford. Pinch hitter Alex Dunlap then roped a double off the base of the wall in left-center to bring in Branton and make it a 4-1 game. Tommy Edman followed with a single up the middle to score Dunlap and then the Cardinal made it 4-3 thanks to a throwing error from Jerrod Bravo on a groundball that would've been the third out of the frame, but Bravo's throw sailed wide of first.
That would be it for Stanford though as Dylan Prohoroff, Maxwell Gibbs and Miles Chambers all combined to toss two and 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, with Gibbs allowing the only hit amongst the trio.
In the ninth, Hockin fell behind 3-0 to the first batter he faced, Quinn Brodey. But Hockin battled back with three straight strikes and then fanned Jonny Locher and Duke Kinamon to shut the door and secure the win for the Titans.
Fullerton will head home to face the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization in an exhibition game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Goodwin Field. The Titans will resume the regular season Friday night with their home opener against Indiana.
Notes: Dakota Wix made his Cal State Fullerton debut on Sunday, batting leadoff and going 1-for-4 on the day… The Titans are now 12-29 all-time against Stanford on the road and 44-58 overall… The 102 games are the most games against a PAC-12 opponent for the Titans.